Chronically Sick Homeschool Mama: Makes Breakfast

source - wikicommons; Public Domain

I want to write useful information on this blog… both spiritually and practically useful. So, I am going to write some specific posts about what it looks like to be a homeschool mama when you are sick… and I mean really sick. (Though, these lessons could be applied to times of morning sickness as well as the chronic illness that I have suffered from.) Beginning with - HOW to make/manage breakfast when you are a sick homeschool mama.

(The following post was originally written in November 2013. I was sick then, but I became far more disabled before my remission in Spring 2014).

Right now, I am in a season of watching my big girl (age 11) make breakfast for our tribe. But, for years I suffered the horrible daily task of facing a hungry mob of kids age 4 and under who really could not do much for themselves. And, my list excludes store bought cereal because my kids respond so violently to refined sugar and grains. But, if cereal works for your family – by all means, utilize every short cut you can!

(Regarding food sensitivities and childrens’ behavior. It certainly appears, from scholarly research and my own life experience, that some food sensitivities cause behavioral issues with some children. I encourage you to keep a food journal and write down the food you and the kiddoes eat and your reactions to them. In my home, we found that certain grains make one of my boys present with all the appearances of ADHD. Being a sick mama with sick kiddoes is a whole ‘nother blog post… But, suffice it to say, do what you can within reason to keep your kiddoes well as much as is in your power.)

-         Pray and ask the Lord to show you what to make your kids for breakfast. Seriously. God wants you to involve Him in your life. He will answer you if you take time to ask and listen.

-         Plain yogurt with drizzle of honey or healthy jelly. Add fresh fruit on the side.

-         Oatmeal is your best friend. You (or your husband) can pre-make it the night before in a baked oatmeal recipe. You can throw together oatmeal “slop” even on your worst morning. (By slop, I mean plain old boring oatmeal. Use two cups of water to every one cup of rolled oats. Add a pinch of salt to the mix and cook on low.) For mama and six kids I make 4 cups of oatmeal with 8 cups water. When there were only a few kiddoes and they were smaller, I got by with two cups of oats. Add raisins, nuts, seeds, real maple syrup, or all kinds of goodies to spruce it up.

-         Eggs are a good go-to breakfast as well. You can scramble them fairly easily. And, really, cooking up a quiche is not all that more intensive than scrambling eggs. In fact, I think I prefer the quiche. Whisk the eggs, dump ‘em in the pie plate and cook ‘em. I cannot always add veggies, because most days these past few years I cannot cut vegetables, because my hand/forearm muscles do not function well. Buy pre-shredded cheese and add 1-2 cups in with the eggs. Or, if you feel like you have the strength to clean up the mess, have your kids shred the cheese… but I do not exactly “recommend” this.

-         Smoothies. Buy bananas on sale and freeze them with the peels off in a freezer bag. Buy frozen fruit. You can use store bought yogurt, store bought kefir, or pure fruit juices to mix in with the frozen fruit to make a smoothie. (If you are a truly sick mama, this is not the season of your life to try to make your own yogurt or kefir. Sure it might be “easy.” But, do you really need one more iron in the fire right now? Will the benefits or making your own truly outweigh the cost to your body and mind to make yourself feel like you need to make your own?)

-         If you have a condition that goes into “remission,” or you have some good months, consider freezer cooking during your good months. Just don’t overdo it, Mama! I know the temptation… you have one good day and you overdo it so much that you are laid up for the next three days… don’t do it, Friend, unless you have several consecutive MONTHS of health and wellness. Muffins, breads, and waffles have been a great freezer breakfast for my family.

-         During times when I felt less sick, I would make “hash” with sausage, store bought “southern style” potatoes, and scrambled eggs. 

-     Take a walk through the freezer section at your local grocery store. Those pre-made sandwiches look scrumptious! I never bought any, because it was cost prohibitive. But, it might work for some incomes.

-         Who says breakfast has to be “breakfast” foods?! Give the kids (preservative free) lunch meat and cheese roll-ups with a can of fruit. Heat up rice and beans (or any leftovers!) from last night’s dinner.

-         Jesus ate fish for breakfast (at least on one occasion). Cook up some salmon in the skillet. (This is one of our regular breakfasts nowadays).

-         If you have the money, consider buying healthy granola bars. Or, if you know you feel better in the afternoon than in the morning, make your own bars to eat tomorrow morning.

-         Natural peanut butter or almond butter and healthy jelly on healthy bread/toast. There were months on end that I can remember giving the kids peanut butter on Nature’s Own whole wheat bagels. The children started making this for themselves as early as age 4. Add a banana or an apple and it seems like a well-balanced meal to me! There were a few years the children and I nearly lived on frozen waffles and peanut butter for breakfast. It wasn’t ideal… but I had to do what I had to do.

I think one of the most important starting points is get the preconceived notions about “what a good mom gives her kids for breakfast” out of your head! You know your limits. No one else knows how you feel. You need to feed your children as well as you can with the resources you have (both financial and physical!). Ask the Lord to show you what you can and cannot do in terms of physical strength. Trust me, I speak from experience, the Lord would rather you feed the kids store bought cereal every day than wear yourself out by making an elaborate feast that will leave you depleted and open to the temptation to yell, curse, criticize, make mountains out of molehills, or whatever your vice is.

Don’t let yourself be bullied into making meals beyond your ability because you feel like it is what you are “supposed to” do! Too many moms are trying to live up to these expectations – most of which are unrealistic lies from the Enemy sent to destroy us.

What does the Lord say?

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife. Prov 17:1 (NASB77)

If you are hearing thoughts of condemnation because you did not make a “complete, balanced” breakfast that compares to a magazine cover, that is NOT the voice/thoughts of God!

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NASB77)

God’s primary concern is not what specific foods you give your children for breakfast, but rather your attitude while you serve them. Do you love your children? There are some mamas who put themselves under great strain trying to create the perfect diet for their kids, but in reality, doughnuts served with love and a smile would be healthier for your kids than eggs and turkey sausage served with a grimace and a side of discontentment and grumbling.

I hope you hear my heart on this. I can see times in the last ten years where I did very well. And, I see times where I was feasting with strife. I just want to caution and encourage other sick mamas from the trenches. I’ve been there. I am there now. But, fortunately, we made it through the days of having 4 kids age 5 and under. And, they all lived to tell about it. None of my kids lose sleep at night having nightmares about the days they used to eat frozen store bought waffles every morning for breakfast. Seriously. BUT, there have been seasons where my SuperMom gene was going strong and I tried to make elaborate whole food feasts that ended with kids and mama all screaming and/or crying. We do remember those days. Thank God that even those memories, when viewed through the proper lenses, do not bring condemnation. (Or, if they do, it is not from the Lord, and we can tell Condemnation to “take a hike.”) Your kids will remember that you served them as well as you can in your sickness. That is enough.

One last thought – your children are following your example, whether you want them to or not. Do you want your children to serve breakfast to their future families in the same manner that you do? There is time to change. Start today. Ask the Lord for wisdom and knowledge. He will hear you. He will answer you.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:2-5 (NASB77)

Living without Strife

I have been considering how to make life more "livable" in our home. And, I have been asking this question about almost everything we do -

Does the benefit outweigh the cost?

When you start looking honestly at your life and asking that question with God's Holy Spirit to open your eyes... things will start changing. Some of the below examples are not all from my own life, but rather what I know that other moms are dealing with.

Homeschooling - In my family, the benefits of homeschooling CERTAINLY outweigh the costs on my body and time. It is hard, but it is good. And, I enjoy it. AND, when thinking about the possibility of Christian school - the costs FAR outweigh the benefits. (Driving time!, having to get up earlier and run on a real schedule, packing lunches, financial strain, etc.)

Breastfeeding - For me, this is worth the toll on my body. It was a real challenge while Baby Jeremiah was cutting teeth, but he is back to sleeping through the night now! And I hope/plan to nurse him all the way through his first winter. But, if nursing a baby causes you to live in a constant state of fatigue and sin - then you need to give it a lot of prayer.


Books and Blogs - I really don't have much time for these. I have not been reading for months. And, each blog I post is usually in progress for days or weeks before I publish it. It is far more important that I am with the children. We have periods of free play or rest. But, that is when I choose to nap rather than read or play on the computer.

Animals, Gardening, Homesteading - We still have many goals and daydreams. But, these will have to wait for another season of life. We did not plant a fall garden, because it would have been too much for us. I am happy with this decision. I would rather buy canned veggies than wear myself out gardening and answer my children with malice or wrath because of sheer exhaustion. The goals we have - they do not have to happen over night... or even in one year... It just does not seem that important in the grand picture of life.

Missions/Evangelism/Good activities/Scouts/Homeschool co-op/Etc - Teaching Sunday school is a good thing... but not if it taxes you so much that you sin against your family! If you are too tired to serve in any area of life without continually falling to some of the same pitfalls of sin week after week - then it is probably time to let that activity go. Make it a matter of great prayer! 

Food - I am making some cutbacks in this area. Homemade bread tastes delicious and it is cheaper than store bought, but it far more time-consuming. But, there is more to it than that. The other day we made bread and by the end of the process we were all getting really snippy with each other. Homemade bread is not worth that! Also, I went to Sam's and bought many easy-to-prepare foods... many of them not containing meats, since I still try to steer clear of hormone-tampering meats. Yet, for this season of my life, some less-wholesome foods are allowed.


Here's the thing, Is it better to grow all of your own foods and prepare meals from scratch, but you yell at your kids because you are so tired and overwhelmed? Or, is it better to give them some junk food and put a lid on some of your complaining and fighting?

Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. Proverbs 17:1 (NLT)

Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:17 (NIV)

This is just for a season. Life is short. My years with my children at home are short. Yes, I want to instill good eating habits. Absolutely. But it is far more important that I instill in them good character! I realize that there are people reading this who think that I am willingly serving my children cancer-causing foods... I do see where you are coming from. BUT, there is a greater cancer in this life. Open sin that we justify is a cancer. Making excuses for our sin will make us both physically and spiritually sick. Living in guilt over your constant sinning will make you sick. Stress can cause cancer. Being overly worried about foods can cause cancer.

I honestly believe, friends, that I am at a far smaller risk of cancer than some of my cooking from scratch peers (though they may eat all whole foods), because I do not live in stress.

I am truly free from worry about the foods we eat right now! God the Father is far more concerned about His children loving one another than He is about whether or not we are eating the perfect diet.

So - what about you? In your life - are there areas where the costs outweigh the benefits? Pray about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the areas that need some attention.

I also blogged about Meals Without Strife on July 15, 2011.

I'm A Liar

I said that we could not afford to eat healthy foods. I lied.

For example:
In our location in mid-MO farm fresh non-GMO eggs cost between $2.50 and $4 per dozen. I have been saying that this is too expensive for our family, because we can easily eat a dozen eggs a day. But, I realized something yesterday - Our family likes to stop by fast food chains for a quick meal at least once a week. We generally spend between $21-$28. So, if I would choose to use that money for eggs instead of fast food we could buy a dozen for every day of the week.

This morning I looked up Local Harvest and searched for eggs close by. I found free range (only!) eggs for $2.50/dozen. She may not have 7 dozen a week for me, but she will be able to sell me some.

Another example:
When we were at Sam's this past Friday I spotted pre-made ground beef patties for $3.15/pound. (I can't remember the grade of the meat) That's not a bad deal. Very tempting. BUT, our milk man raises their grass-fed dairy steers for beef. $3.15/pound... and very lean. Yummy too! (And, did I mention that our milk man delivers to our house!?)

The list could go on. Soda and other beverages are money that could likely be better spent. Same goes for fast food.

What unhealthy food/luxury could you give up to be able to "afford" real, local, farm-fresh food?

Disclaimer: Eating healthy and buying farm fresh foods is NOT AT ALL a salvation issue. It is of no great eternal consequence. Please do not think that I am judging you by your eating/buying habits. This is our hobby. This is our interest. This is our health. I will not think less of any reader who eats fast food 3 meals a day... truly.

Save Money - Use Dry Beans

To save money, we have been using more dry beans these last few months. We used to buy black beans at Wal-Mart for a reasonable cost. But, we are able to save even more money by soaking them, cooking them, and storing them ourselves.

First - I buy large bags of dry black beans at the bulk food store. This past trip I bought a bag that was 4.18 pounds. (This cost me $5.81.)

Next - We soaked the beans in a caldron large stock pot overnight, or up to 24 hours. Cover the beans with water and add a few more inches of water, beans are thirsty.

Then - We drained the water and added fresh water. Cover the beans with water and then add one more inch.

Saute and Add  - (per pound) 1/2 onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 Tbls. oil, 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook - several hours until the liquid is creamy and the beans are tender

Cool and store - We store the beans in cottage cheese type containers in the freezer


With this last batch we were able to cook 256 ounces of beans. This is the equivalent of 7 cans of black beans at Wal-Mart. Seven cans of Great Value brand beans (price $.68/15 oz can) = about $11.50. 

So, after factoring in the onion and seasoning we saved at least $4. Is it worth it? It is to me! You cannot put a price on knowing where/how your food is cooked/stored!!! We eat five pounds of dry beans in a month's time so we might be saving more than $50 a year. Not bad.

Next, we need to conquer Kidney Beans, because the canned kidneys at the store have high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in them. We have two children in our church who are allergic to HFCS. So, I am need to be very careful that I don't accidentally make them sick with the food I prepare for potlucks!

Smell the popcorn cooking

With some of our Christmas money (a gift card to Macy's) we bought an Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Popcorn Popper. I gotta say that this machine is definitely worth the money!!! It pops the corn in less time than a microwave could (about 2 1/2 minutes)! The design of the machine also allows you to melt butter while the corn is popping - very cool.

We are really enjoying the ease and speed of this machine.

Without Apologies (Food Expenses Part 2)

Disclaimer: This blog is about growing in the Lord. And, I want to distinguish that I am NOT saying in any of my "healthy living" posts that eating better gets me in better standing with God. Healthy eating is a good thing, but it does not improve my relationship with the Lord. I post about this topic, because it is important to me as a homemaker. You have liberty to eat as you will... eating Oreos and McDonalds will not send you to hell... I am never, never saying that.   


I was woken up during the night and I could not get back to sleep. So, I pondered my food expenses again. (Please tell me that I am not the only person who lies awake in the middle of the night solving the problems of the world?)

Anyway, I thought of more expensive foods that I buy... without apology. Paul and I are definitely on the same page here.

We sweeten our foods with honey (the best that we can afford). We use REAL, pure maple syrup on our oatmeal and pancakes. These items are pretty expensive (since we cannot keep bees right now... though it is a long-term goal! And, we are not likely to start tapping trees for sap this year.) But, no matter how cheap sugar/brown sugar is (REALLY cheap) we only use it if we have to. Occasionally we buy succanat to replace the brown sugar in recipes.

We buy cheeses that are milk based, not oil-based. We eat a lot of cheese, though I no longer serve it by itself as a snack. We use our food processor or a grater to shred cheese for many meals. And, it is wonderful how a meal of rice and beans is transformed by cheese!!! Yep - we will not be cutting out this expensive item either.

Butter - ummmm.... butter... We LOVE cooking with butter and slathering it on our fresh bread. But, unless we find really good deals, butter can be really expensive. We tried to make our own, but our raw milk comes from a cow with a lower butter-fat-content. It is still my dream (make that OUR dream) to have our own goats or cows... the higher butter content the better!, some day. But, this is another LONG-term goal. We have not bought margarine for about 3 years.

So, this post is the results of my midnight ponderings. We choose to buy some expensive foods. And, I am okay with that. Still, we don't want to go overboard on our food expenses goals or our healthy eating goals. We will keep praying that we will keep a good balance on these issues. (Fortunately for me, my husband excels at moderation!)

How about you? Do you feel balanced? How would you like to see change in your family? Are you very little concerned about healthy eating? Are you too concerned about healthy eating? Maybe someone else here can learn from your comments.

And, in case I don't see you again, Happy Thanksgiving! 

Food Expenses

I have been totaling all of our food expenses for November and I am still a little discouraged by the numbers. I counted the 1st of the month through the 21st of the month as 3 weeks. And, I subtotaled each week, then averaged the expense per week. I am a little sorry to say that we are still spending an average of $134 per week on food (for a family of 7, not counting unborn Baby).

Honestly, maybe this is not so bad...

Here is the USDA's guidelines  for Oct. 2011, for the cost of foods for individuals. (You can see the whole chart, for other months here) I tallied my family, using their "thrifty plan" amounts and came up with an estimate of $219.8/week.
Even my highest weeks were not that high. So, maybe we are not doing so bad...
All I know is that is seems like too much for our family!

Considerations:
-I did have to make some purchases that will not be made every month - like 50 pounds of oats (week 1) and 50 pounds of flour (week3). But, I just keep thinking, "what else can I do?!" Meat is usually the most expensive food per pound. But, I buy very little of that. And, fruit is sort of costly per pound, but I buy whatever is on sale. And, we cut back our fresh fruit intake significantly!
- I had to buy pecans this week... ouch! (Nuts cost far more than meat, per pound.)
-We are buying water right now, because our well water is non-potable. But, we are only paying .38/gallon, for a refill at Wal-Mart. (And, we hope that our Culligan water system will be fixed soon...)
-If we give up the raw milk delivery we would only be saving about 50 cents per gallon. And, I would likely not give the kids near as much milk - because store bought milk constipates the children and makes Paul's so-called "lactose intolerance" act up. But, without milk, they would need to eat more food... So, this is not a good option.
-We also have family/friends over for dinner at least twice a month, usually more. But, this is something that we do not plan to cut out! In fact, we wish we could host more meals! (Sometimes our shared meals are potluck style, with other families helping carry the load.)

The good news is, we still spend less that the "average" American family.

And, all of this food money was spent on actual food at the grocery store. We are not eating out at all.

So, we are doing much better than we were! I am writing this post, largely, for my own "memory." I want to be able to look back and see how we are doing. But, if it helps encourage/challenge you to review your own family's expenses, I will be happy to have helped!

Only 7 More Weeks to Prepare!!!

Oh dear, only 7 weeks until Baby 6 comes! I hope I start "nesting" soon, so that I can get everything ready!

My primary concern is making sure that Rebecca is ready to cook a few days worth of meals AND that we have the ingredients for them on hand. She has recently mastered making bread by herself. And, we rarely run out of those supplies, so at least the family won't starve. Rebecca and I made up a list of all the recipes she can cook beginning to end all by herself. We were very happy with all the options she has there. But... having ingredients on hand for those meals is another story!

Paul and I have talked about buying "convenience" foods for the freezer: hot dogs, frozen  pizza, ravioli, etc. But, I just don't think I can bare to see those foods come into my house again after we have worked so hard to cut them out. Plus, they are SO expensive! We are buying our food with cash now, accounting for every penny - and I am becoming more frugal every day! What's more - my family is all losing weight and I don't want to regress into old, unhealthy habits (again). So, let's hope that I get a sudden burst of nesting energy that lasts for the next 7 weeks. Because if the freezer is going to be filled, then I am going to cook the meals myself!!!

I don't know yet who will be here to watch our children when Paul and I are both at the hospital. Paul's folks are 20ish minutes away. So, they will likely be the babysitters.

But, you see, this is the problem - my mom and Paul's mom did not have quite so many kiddoes under foot when they were mamas with kids at home. So, when they come to my house they find it very hard to prepare a meal (and keep their sanity). This is completely understandable!!! However, they think that since they cannot do it Rebecca cannot do it either. But, Rebecca was born into this -and she does it VERY well. She is more efficient in the kitchen that I can ever hope to be. She is even able to incorporate the kids into cooking - I don't know how she does it ; )  But, my point is, if our mothers can agree to let Becca do the cooking, everyone should be well fed.

Let's hope they like our menu options...

Stocked Up on Apples

I wanted to post a picture of my apple jars to show off to help me remember that I really did it!

The picture does not show all that we successfully stored (because they were already eaten or given away):
- 25 qts apple sauce
- 2 qts apple butter
- 12 half pints apple butter
- 6 large Ziplock bags of sliced apples (for desserts) in the deep freezer

As I said before we started with 5 bushels of apples. We ate some of the apples raw. Paul wants to put up two or three times this amount next year. I concur... even though I ration the apple sauce, I do not see it lasting for even 6 months. As for the apple butter, I enjoy eating it, but I REALLY enjoy giving it away and seeing other people smile. And, did I mention that I made it with honey - so it is sugar free. (Though a lot more costly per jar).

I am not writing out how much everything costs per jar, because I don't think that my system would make sense to anyone but myself. And, I had to purchase some jars - a one-time expense. But, we are still saving money on food. (So long as you have the time to "spare") 

On Cutting Back the Food Budget

I mentioned about a month ago that we were going to cut back our food budget in a major way. While we are making this decision from financial necessity, we also knew that it would benefit our health.

Here's my report:
- We have not been eating out at all!

- I have made a comparison pricing chart for foods in town. I have four columns: Aldi, Sam's Club, Dutch Bulk Foods, and other. I am eagerly filling it out when I am in stores hunting food bargains.

- We found "farm fresh" eggs in a neighboring town for only $1/dozen! The cheapest Wal-Mart carries are $1.88/doz, and the farm fresh are better! These of course are not given special (non-GMO) feed, but we cannot afford to be that picky at present ; )
 
- We are back on raw milk! We are able to get it delivered TO OUR HOUSE in glass jars for only $4/gallon! What a steal! Our milk man sells reasonably priced hormone-free, antibiotic free beef as well... we hope to begin purchasing that soon. And, we are having cream delivered to make butter.

 - In the last month I purchased 5 bushels of apples for canning/freezing. I haggled with the owner of the Dutch Bulk Food Stores to give me a reduced rate on Golden Delicious and Jonathon number ones. I ended up getting four boxes for the price of three! And, then a girlfriend called saying that she had some cheap Red Delicious from an Amish auction. So, I got just one bushel of those for only $10.50.

This was us processing the last 3 bushels y-day. (Click any pic to bring up the enlargements page). Nelson did a fantastic job helping! He ran the peeler/corer/slicer for hours! Rebecca watched the little ones and read them books. We did not let her help with the cooking, because she is sick.
Baby Josiah wasn't much help...

We made a vast amount of apple sauce.

And, today we have apple butter cooking in the crock pot.
 
Here is me filling the jars this morning.
I will can them when Paul comes home from work.

I can't imagine why I look so tired...

- We are baking our own bread again. I took about an eighteen month sabbatical from such work. But, between Rebecca and myself we should be able to keep the bread box filled. I did also make a trip to the bakery outlet a few weeks ago, but I would MUCH rather cook my own, thank you.

- We were able to get free pears last weekend. I have not processed them yet, because we have had our hands full of apples. But, we have been enjoying them raw! And, they are still plenty hard and will keep till Monday.

- We are buying very little processed foods at present. Again, this is largely from necessity. But, still, I am happy that we ran out of taco shells and tortillas. We know how to make tortillas, if we get desperate enough.

- We are not buying any soda or juice. We are only drinking milk, water, and coffee.

- We are all eating much smaller portions to make food stretch farther. This has significantly helped my heartburn! In fact, I intentionally leave the table hunger every night so that I (hopefully) won't have to take any antacids before bed. (Antacids deplete my vitamin D.)

- As you might expect, my chubbiest little man (Nelson) has really slimmed down! He has noticed and he feels good about it. The rest of us are looking more healthy too. And, don't worry, I am still gaining just the right amount of weight for the new Baby.

- Another less expected result of this dietary change is that we are making FAR less trips to town for groceries. So, we are saving gas too. Woo Hoo!


All in all, I am VERY happy with our progress so far! Leave me a comment to cheer me on!

Praise God for Pears

While we were in IL this weekend, we visited some dear friends from our old church. These friends have many kinds of fruit trees and offered us as many pears as I wanted. The children each picked a Wal-Mart full of lovely, fresh-from-the-tree pears! When I got home and sorted through the pears, throwing out only 2 bad ones, we had one apple box (bushel) FULL of pears! We plan to slice them and can them. Maybe I will think to take a picture of the finished product... maybe.

PRAISE GOD for free pears!

I wish I could box up this smell

If I could box up the smell of my house, I would send it to all of my lovely readers! We are making apple butter in the crock pot, there is apple sauce finished on the stove, and bread in the oven.

*Deep breath in through my nose*
*Slowly exhale*

OH, how I love autumn!!!

To do today

- can my homemade applesauce, made earlier in the week MMMmmmmm
- clean the house, because the men are coming here for lunch after church tomorrow
- make something for the ladies' lunch to be eaten after church tomorrow
- squeeze in some school?
- get the kids outside
- finish setting up the school room: the curriculum needs brought up from what is now the girl's room
- put my feet up!
- afternoon/evening: go with Paul to watch him and the two biggins pick up Gpa's hay (only 128 bales). And, watch Paul fix a combine.


Time to get to work!
---------------------------------------
10AM Update

I cut the finger and toe nails of two kiddoes and myself. Then, I delegated a few cleaning jobs. Next I switched over the laundry. Lastly, I laid down until about 10. Now I am eating a cup of Ramen noodles - instead of the breakfast I skipped earlier. Then, I plan to lay down again. So much for the to do list.

Meals without strife

In the last few years my bloggers have watched our family try a number of lifestyle changes. And, these past few months I have adopted yet another philosophy.

I was completely overwhelmed. The kids were not doing much of the work and I was getting stuck doing all the cooking, cleaning, dishes, etc. I was grumpy and tired and frustrated. Two close friends (in the same day) told me to ask Paul for his advice. So I did.

I asked Paul, “What do you most want me to do every day?” His answer (and from this you will learn how practical Paul is…), “Love the children.”
He did NOT tell me to do the laundry. He did NOT tell me to cook whole foods. He did NOT tell me to wash the dishes before bed every night. All he said was, “Love the children.”
(Can I admit to you, Reader, that this reply was about vague enough to make me want to scream?!)

The following morning I did my best to do all the jobs I was doing before… but to do them while consciously loving my children. Um – not pretty. I figured out real quick that I couldn’t do much work at all before my voice began to escalate and my thoughts would not be so nice towards my kids. I would hear this haunting voice, “Love the children, Beth, love the children.” Then, I would sit down and re-group.

My household does not look like it did a few years ago. If I was to post pics now (which I can’t because of Android/Blogger limitations), you would see a messier house, dishes stacked up, laundry REALLLY stacked up… and happy faces. I am indeed striving to love the children more. So, it turns out that Paul’s advice was a bit more practical than I originally thought.

I am no longer cooking healthy food for every meal… honestly, I am aiming at maybe one really healthy meal per day. The rest of our meals come from cans and boxes. And I’m okay with that. Here’s a verse that I stumbled upon the other day that really sums up our new cooking philosophy:

Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife. (Prov 17:1 HCSB)

So, if I feel strong enough/well enough to cook a healthy meal – I will. If I am sick, I will warm up frozen pizzas, or Eggos, or whatever is easy. And, if I have a day I feel good, I will cook real food. Last night, I felt stronger than usual, so I prepared baked oatmeal to pop in the oven this morning. If I have a really good day, I make double batches and pop the extra in the freezer.

So, who has practical suggestions for healthy foods that are easy?

Here are some of my ideas:
Breakfasts: oatmeal, grits, fruit, whole wheat toast, yogurt

Lunch: Natural peanut butter sandwiches, baked potato, rice and beans, salad

Dinner: Chicken cooked in a crock pot, whole wheat spaghetti (this is a meal that Becca can make all by herself!), baked potato, rice and beans, beef with seasoning in a tortilla, salad, pot roast with carrots and potatoes in the crock pot

This is a short list… help me add to this. But, remember – it has to be healthy and easy, like a one or two step meal.

We look forward to reading your ideas!

Canning Goals

Reposted 09-26-2011

I was frustrated to discover that Wal-Mart's Great Value brand Dark Red Kidney Beans contain High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)! What will they add HFCS to next?!

I am no longer a food nazi that refuses to eat anything with sugar or HFCS in it. BUT, I do try to limit my family's intake!

One of my new goals for canning is that I will pre-soak/cook beans and can them. This would take up a lot of space, but it would be great for convenience! I am thinking that soaking a HUGE pot of just one bean variety would be enough to get me started. I don't want to become overwhelmed, trying to take on too much at once (who, me?). I think this plan of action sounds feasible. I got the idea of canning beans from Kim at Life in a Shoe.

ALSO:
I want to can my home-made re-fried beans, which I am currently freezing.

I want to can my own applesauce rather than freezing it.

I want to can my own pie filling.


These are just a few of my canning goals.

Saving Money on Meats

You probably already know this, but I am going to remind you... in case you forgot.

If you purchase meat at the grocery store after the weekend is over (usually Monday, though it might be Tuesday this coming week because of Labor Day), you can get it at a discounted rate.

Last week I got Rump Roast and Chuck Roast at about $2.50 pound! I felt like I was stealing, buying up all the packages that were left. Not only is it a great Crock Pot meal on these warm days, but it is an excellent alternative to lunch meat in Paul's lunch! (As you might recall, we have cut almost all lunchmeat out of our diet in the past month). AND, at these prices it is much cheaper than lunchmeat, which is at least $5/pound around here.

Just thought that I would pass this money-saving tip on to you!

(P.S - I froze my meat using a Food Saver. We have been packaging all sorts of meats in Food Saver bags for about 6 years now! I highly recommend vacuum sealing your meats!)

A Review of my First Year of Gardening

I want to remember the lessons I learned this year in gardening, and what better way than to write it here on the blog... just in case there is anyone out there less garden-savvy than myself (anyone? ANYONE???) OK, maybe I am just writing it for me ; )

What we will do again:
- plant tomatoes
- plant jalapenos
- plant onions
- plant potatoes
- plant marigolds
- plant sweet banana peppers

What we will change:
- we will MULCH more! (to keep weeds down. Because, let's face it, one tired mama of five cannot do all the weeding by herself!!!)
- set up a system for weeding, like doing one bed or one row a day... rather than trying to do the whole garden every few days
- plant heirloom tomatoes (if we are able to get the seeds in time...), but even if we cannot get heirloom, we will NOT be using "Big Boy" or "Pink Lady" tomatoes. I think a Beefsteak tomato is more of the texture/size/shape we want
- plant a LOT more tomato plants, because we had just enough to eat, but none to can (which was fine for this year!)
- use home-made cages rather than stakes for large tomatoes. (Stakes were fine for the cherry tomatoes)
- we will try to use more of a "square-foot gardening" model, rather than traditional rows
- we will use more companion planting
- keep a closer eye out for caterpillars and other pests
- add a birdbath and hopefully some martin houses (to help control the insect population)
- plant berry bushes and fruit trees (someday)
- plant corn, green beans, and peas that we did not get to this year
- get an earlier start by: starting tomato seeds indoors, getting lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli in the ground early
- buy hoses, because our water bucket relays were exhausting! This was supposedly the children's job, but I ended up doing it
- come to think of it... I think a new rule is in order - if you are 4 or older, and if you plan to eat any homegrown food, you MUST help mommy take care of the garden!!! (And, playing in the sprinkler while it waters the garden does not count as "help.")
- make better use of compost
- prepare beds in the fall for the following spring
- no cayenne pepper (better to buy it and save room for something we really want!)
- plant two zucchini plants (this year we had none)
- plant pie pumpkins
- plant melons

Now, while I think I have some decent ideas here, I acknowledge two things:
1- This was my first real garden ever!, I am still learning
2- We don't know where we will be living this Fall or next Spring, so all this planning sounds nice, but is not set in stone

Buying Apples

I learned something new about buying apples, and I wanted to pass it on. We buy bushels of apples at the Dutch Bulk Foods Store. (To make apple sauce) And, last time I was there, I saw that I could buy a bushel of #1 apples for $16.95 or #2 apples for $9.95. I asked the proprietor what the difference is.

#1 apples are all about the same size and have no blemishes. And, they are packaged very nicely, so that they do not bruise.

#2 apples are various sizes and have bruises on them. But, there are a few more in the box, because there is no packaging materials.

I bought the #2 box to "save money." But, I am not sure that I really got the best deal. When you buy #2 apples they need processed right away. And, some bruises go deeper than others rendering the apple useless.

Next time I will buy the #1 apples, it is well worth the extra money!

How children can help in the kitchen

I had no idea how to cook ten years ago! And, I did not really care to learn to cook, until I realized that I had to teach my daughter to cook. So, when Rebecca was about 4 and taking an interest in cooking, I finally started trying to teach her. It was a nightmare! I barely had the patience to let her stir eggs. Let me tell you - you cannot expect to say to your children "Get out of the kitchen!," and then expect that one day they can come in and cook without making messes and mistakes!


Lesson learned. Now, my children are all helping cook from the moment they can walk about steadily. (I am not exaggerating. Toddlers can set the table. Toddlers can learn the name of utensils and get them for you. Toddlers can stir a bowl.)

Here are pictures of my children helping to prepare a ham and cheese omelet. Daddy was cooking with them, and I think he cracked the eggs that day. But, Rebecca has been cracking eggs for a few years. (It is time to teach Nelson now!)

Joshus stirred the eggs. He stirs really well :0) He has also graduated to stirring some items in pans while they cook (so long as they are not splashy foods).

Nelson cuts the ham into bite-sized pieces.

Rebecca sliced the onions and peppers. (Note to Self: If you get behind on washing and folding Rebecca's clothes, she will have to wear that pair of pants in the bottom of her drawer.)

Lydia helped by feeding the baby! Food was in his chair, on his outfit, inside the rolls of his legs, on his toes... everywhere. But, it kept the baby happy and Lydia occupied!

I am still in the learning process myself. I don't claim to be an expert. I just thought this post might help out someone with less experience than myself.

When Food Causes Cancer

(Edited and reposted 10-13-2011)

Paul came home from work the other day all upset about the news he heard on the radio that nitrates in processed meats cause cancer (and a slew of other problems). He decided that he did not want to eat nitrates anymore, and asked me to stop buying lunch meat.
So, being the good wife that I am, I went to the store to look for meat without nitrates. Nada. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. I would have better luck finding a needle in a haystack! As if our diet was not limited enough... now we have to cut back on lunch meat, sausage, bacon, even whole hams (and so much more!). What now?! Can I knowingly feed my family carcinogens? Or, do I eat beans and rice three times a day?
I know that I said that I was going to be more moderate in my food intake... but, seriously, can I do it when I know something causes cancer? Do I just say, "We live in a fallen world, that's just the way it is," and present a platter of processed meat? Because, it looks like it will be a long time before we have any livestock.

And, then I read this today - Cancer cells feed on high fructose. So, if you have cancer, it will be worsened by eating most any processed food that you pick up in the store. Lovely.

OK, who wants beans and rice for dinner?

Any practical suggestions? (besides plug my ears from the news and stop reading health articles)

Added 10-13-2011: Wal-Mart does sell one pre-packaged lunch meat without nitrates. It is about $3/half pound. This is what we buy when we want lunch meat.